Telephone index



May 18,1937.

D. BAKER ET AL TELEPHONE INDEX Filed June 20, 1936 J m W i may .m fn mm? 5% 0 pg @w Patented May 18, 1937 UNITED STATES TELEPHONE INDEX David Baker and David Baker, Jr., Rosemont, Pa.,

assignors to Robert 0. Blackwood, Melbourne,

Victoria, Australia Application June 20, 1936, Serial'No. 86,232

3 Claims.

The invention relates to card indexes, especially adapted-for use with telephones and the like;

The-object of the invention is to provide an improved construction and assembly of elements whereby the index cards may be properly supported andmanipulated for the purpose as described- In other words, the invention comprises a number ofxspecifi'c features, all contributing in providingan'improvedindex device capable of hardand-constant use without deterioration, havingmeans for the quick and facile assembly and changing, as: required, the pack or certain cards therein.

For: example, the case is so constructed and proportioned relatively to the cards as to secure inassembling' the cards'therein, the automatic alinement of the pivotholes.

The margins of the pivot holes in the cards are provided'with metal grommets thereby providing an armor to preventfraying of the hole margins and-also to'utilize the flanges as bearing faces between thecards adjacent the pivot.

The pivot holes in the cards are of diameter substantiallygreaterthan the diameter of, the pivot, to facilitate the insertion of the pivot through the alined openings, and also to facilitate the manipulation of the cards.

Theinvention comprises the assembly of different sets-of cards, correspondingly indexed, one

set back of another and the same indicia tabs of'one set; registering respectively with those of theother;

The-pivot for supporting the cards, comprises an interiorlythreaded'sleeve passing through the opposite'parallel walls of the case from the outer face of :one-tothe. outerface of the other, serving asxan. efficient bearing and also contributing to the stability of the case.

The-invention also comprises improved clamping-means for securing the case to the telephone, including two pivoted members having complementary, recesses. conforming tothe contour of the telephone'part engaged.

The clamp-is soassociated relatively to the case and. tattle-telephoneas to maintain the case inclined to the perpendicular to facilitate the manipulation of the cards, and also to bringv the required cardintobetterposition for reading.

The invention includes the conforming of the complementary recesses relatively to the telephone as'to secure the case in exact position with 55 respect to-the telephone.

Allzof'said features of improvement cooperating and contributing to render the device strong and. durable in use, simple and inexpensive to construct, and adapted for manipulation with accuracy and requiringa minimum of effort.

Referring. to the drawing which illustrates, merely by way of example; a preferred embodiment'of the. invention:

Fig. 1 is-a view in perspective, withone card displayed.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on' line 2,2 of Fig. 1.

. Fig. 3 is an under-side view showing the clamping elements folded for packing.

Fig. 4 is atop plan View, with cards removed.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary detail in elevation of a card showing the pivot'hole and the grommet, on an enlarged'sca'le. 1

Fig. 5a is a fragmentary section of same on a still larger scale. 1 v

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the construction of the. pivot'on an enlarged scale.

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary section showing the clamping elements engaging the telephone.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view in perspective showing the arrangement of the cards when indicating subjects in different classes. Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In the example illustrated in the drawing, the casing or card-holder I lcomprises front and rear parallel Walls i 2 and [3, a bottom wall. l4 and.

' one end wall l5, the other end of thecasing and thetopbeing entirely open. The bottom wall [4 carries an extension I6 which. projects. beyond the margins of the front and rear parallel walls at the open end of the. casing. The said front and rear walls of, the casing. are spaced apart sufliciently to receive, with a loosev fit, the-pack of index cards which it is desired to use.

The front and rearwalls l2. and l3 are provided with registeringholes I! at the lower right hand corner of said walls as shown in Fig. 4.

These holes I! are of size to receive with a fair: I

ly; close movable fit the interiorlythreaded sleeve pivot l8. This pivot is provided. with a flat head [9 at one end adapted to rest against theouter face of the front wall 12, while the open end 20 of the sleeve I8 is approximately flush with the outside'surface or face of rear'wall I3. A screw 18' is threaded into the: open end20'of'sleeve l8 with its head resting upon the outer face of rear wall I3. The index cards 2| are each provided at'their-rlower right hand corner with holes 22,

posite faces of each card. These grommets serve.

as eflicient reinforcements of the cards in their engagement with the pivot sleeve l8, and also serve as bearings between adjacent cards, causing a slight separation of the adjacent faces of the cards for a slight area surrounding said grommets. This prevents the sticking together of the cards in close proximity with the pivot sleeve, while not interfering with a desirable slight friction engagement of adjacent card faces or surfaces at areas more remote from said pivot, as will be explained later on.

By providing the holes 22 of the cards of greater diameter than that of the pivot l8, and by using the reinforcing and protecting grommets 23, extremely useful purposes are served. One purpose is to facilitate the assembly and changing of cards in the case. For example, when it is desired to assemble the pack of cards, or to remove or change a card or cards-in the case, the pivot is withdrawn and the pack of cards is inserted in the case and all pushed against the end wall I5, while the pack is resting upon the bottom wall I 4. This operation automatically brings the holes of the entire pack in register with each other and also in register with holes I 1 in the front and rear walls of the case, so that the pivot l8 may readily be inserted. By having the holes larger than the pivot a suflicient play of the card upon the pivot is provided to permit the card being shifted from its initial position, in close engagement with the end wall, to permit turning the card to open position, there is less likelihood of the pivot being obstructed in its insertion. By the protection of the margins of the holes in the cards, afforded by the grommets, the fraying of said margins, by the engagement therewith by the end of the pivot sleeve when pushed into operative position, is entirely prevented. The adjacent grommet flanges forming bearing faces between the cards and thus take a large part of the wear from the cards, which would naturally result from long continued manipulation.

As a preferred arrangement of the index cards, the pack is composed of different sets, for example, one may be for the names and telephone numbers of business persons and firms, while another may be a social list, etc. Each set is provided with the usual tabs carrying the necessary letters or other indicia. The letter or insignia of one set are directly in front of same insignia, respectively, of the other set, so that the insignia of the front set, which is in full view, serves in the manipulation of a card in the set to the rear of the front set.

In accordance with the present example, the case is connected to and supported by the telephone by means of two clamping members 25. These clamping members 25 are pivotally secured to the bottom wall M by the sleeve-pivots 26, each provided with a head 21 at one end and open and interiorly threaded at the other end for cooperation with the screws 28. The adjacent faces of these clamping members are provided with complementary recesses 29, shaped to fit the neck of the telephone instrument, with which it is to be used. In some types of telephones a bead or ridge is formed on the neck of the telephone just below the cradle, in such case an interior circumferential groove 30 is provided in the recesses 29 to receive said bead or ridge. In other types, the neck is oval in cross-section, instead of circular. In which case the clamping elements are correspondingly shaped to secure the case in proper alinement.

The clamping elements 25 are held in clamping position by the bolt 3| passing transversely through the two clamping members between said receiving recesses 29 and the pivots 26.

The bolt 3! may comprise an interiorly threaded sleeve with a head at one end and a cooperating screw 32, similar to the pivot formations I8 and I8 and 26 and 28. The heads of the sleeves and cooperating screws may be made thin to lie fiat upon the surfaces with which they cooperate, or recesses may be counter-sunk in said surface to receive said heads, as shown in Fig 2.

The clamping members are pivoted, at the middle part of their ends remote from the recessed ends, to the bottom wall l4 near the middle line of said wall. The adjacent corners 33 are rounded or formed in arcs of circles of which the pivots 26 are the centers. This permits the securing of the clamping members to the wall M in close longitudinal relationship without hindering their pivoted pivotal movement into and out of the clamping position. When the device is to be packed for shipping, these clamping members may be brought into position in alinement with the bottom of the case, as shown in Fig. 3.

The upper surface of the rear or pivot-end of each clamp is preferably inclined to the main body of the clamp, as at 34, and the axis of the pivot 26 is correspondingly inclined, so that, when the case is pivotally connected to this surface 34, the case is permanently tilted or inclined slightly from the perpendicular, as shown in Fig. 2. As a result of this arrangement the cards, when displayed, are at a better angle for reading by the operator, and also in this position, the cards rest slightly one upon another, which tends to create a slight friction for maintaining all the other cards in the case when one is being manipulated.

What we claim is:-

1. In a card index, the combination of a pack of index cards and a case for holding the same, having parallel side walls, a bottom wall and one end wall, the other end and the top of the case being open, the side walls having at their lower corners near the open end, oppositely disposed pivot-holes, a pivot extending from one side wall to the other and fitting snugly in said pivot holes, the cards having corresponding pivot holes of substantially greater diameter than that of the pivot, adapted automatically to register with the Wall holes when the pack, resting upon the bottom of the case, is pushed into initial position against the end wall and adapted to provide sufficient play of the cards upon the pivot to permit turning the cards from said initial position.

2. In a card index, the combination of a pack of index cards and a case for holding the same, open at the top and at one end, a pivot near the lower open end for securing the cards, clamping members pivotally secured to the bottom of the case having complementary recesses for embracing a telephone part and means for securing same in clamping position, said clamping members having inclined surfaces for engaging the bottom faces engaging said bottom, with 'pivots correspondingiy inclined to the main body of the said member, for securing a, required and definite inclination of the case and means for securing the clamping members in clamping position.

DAVID BAKER. DAVID BAKER, JR. 

